Quentin Tarantino's movies are universally acclaimed, and he's known for being a visionary (and outspoken) filmmaker. There's debate among cinephiles about which of his titles is the best, but for me, the Kill Bill movies have always been my favorite. Tarantino has long considered this to be one long movie, despite it being split into two titles originally. Now fans can watch them both in one sitting thanks to The Whole Bloody Affair hitting theaters. Although despite my love for this property, I'm not sold on the idea of seeing them back to back on the big screen.
The Kill Bill movies hit theaters in 2003 and 2004 respectively, and was the first Tarantino property that I fell in love with. I regularly re-watched the pair of films on DVD as a young person, and can quote Vol. 1 pretty much front to back, including Tarantino's movie and TV references. But the idea of dedicating over four hours in one day to sitting through The Whole Bloody Affair might be too much even for me.
I'm Not Sure I Can Commit To Over 4 Hours In A Movie Theater
There's been debate for years now about whether Kill Bill is one movie or two. Tarantino maintains its all one story, especially since he originally planned for it to be watched in one sitting. Ultimately that's not how things went down, and there were six month between the release of Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. The director's original vision for the story is finally available thanks to The Whole Bloody Affair, but it's definitely a big commitment.
If you're brave enough to see the full experience, you'll be spending a ton of time at your local movie theater. The Whole Bloody affair runs for a whopping 4 hours and 22 minutes (including a 15-minute intermission which will allow you to pee and refill your popcorn). Add in how long trailers run at movies, and you could get close to 5 hours at the theater.
This isn't to say that the Kill Bill movies aren't entertaining enough to keep you captivated throughout this runtime; its simply a logistical issue. I mean, who has the time to watch The Whole Bloody affair in the midst of the Holiday Season? And even if one does have the time, there are concerns about one's bladder, as well as your butt or legs going numb from so much time in your seat. I mean, it's longer than movies like Titanic or the Avatar films.
From a narrative aspect, I also do love the way the story is split in half. Throughout Vol. 1 there are some ongoing mysteries, including The Bride's name. But, if you watch the story in one sitting, it makes those moments feel less impactful.... even if you've already seen both movies before.
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair is in theaters now as part of the 2025 movie release list. The films aren't streaming at the moment, but, luckily, I've got physical copies for my re-watching pleasure.
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